Indonesia should rebuff nuclear energy and focus on renewables instead

There are no nuclear power plants in Indonesia and it should stay that way.

National Energy Council member Herman Darnel Ibrahim has dismissed the use of nuclear energy in Indonesia since the country is an archipelago with volcanic islands unsuitable for nuclear reactors.

The council is the government agency responsible for formulating and managing energy policy and the energy outlook; determining mitigation efforts in the event of energy emergencies and monitoring policy between sectors.

Instead of considering building nuclear power plants, Indonesia must put an end to using oil-based energy for electricity generation. Herman said that fossil fuels could be used exclusively for transportation.

He said that both coal-fired and gas-fired power plants will serve as interim energy sources while the government develops renewable energy technology and exploits its huge geothermal and biomass potential.

He noted that in the future, coal energy will most likely dominate Indonesia’s electricity sources by at least 50% since the country has yet to develop viable technologies for the exploitation of cleaner renewable energy sources.

“Coal and gas energy will be our temporary power sources before 2050. Meanwhile, the government must accelerate technological development of renewable power resources,” he said.